LIVINGSTONE. Dear All

Transcription

1 Dear All I spent a long time chasing butterfl ies around the garden to take a photograph. This is the only proper one I managed to take. I am guessing that it is a Veined Swordtail. I am sure someone will tell me in an that I am wrong... There are over 700 butterfl y species in Zambia so I had plenty to chose from... The Price of Staple Foods LIVINGSTONE Last week I mentioned that mealie meal was off the shelves of major Livingstone supermarkets for a day and wondered why people didn t eat another staple food for a change. I had an from a Livingstonian to say that the reason we eat mealie meal so much is because of the price: Raw food Energy (kj per 100g) Type of item priced Unit (kg) Price per unit Price per 100g Price per 1000 kj Maize 1528 roller meal 10 K30.99 K0.31 K Maize 1528 breakfast meal 25 K75.25 K0.30 K White rice 1528 white rice 5 K63.99 K1.28 K Brown rice 1549 brown rice 1 K13.49 K1.35 K Wheat 1369 white fl our 2.5 K32.99 K1.32 K Potato 322 potatoes 1 K19.99 K2.00 K Cassava 670 cassava fl our 2 K59.99 K3.00 K Equivalent of 2 x 25kg mmeal (no. of 100g) The Price of Fuel Over Easter there has been a fuel shortage. The price had not changed but the price of the fuel crisis was huge in Livingstone. This is a time when Livingstone expected many visitors from around Zambia but many did not travel because they were worried about whether fuel would be available. We have a similar scenario later this year when elections will be held in August - the prime tourist season. How many people will be put off visiting us this year because of elections? Many, I suspect.

2 ZAMBIA Kazungula Pontoon During the week I heard that there were problems at Kazungula, at the pontoon. The truck queue was stretched down the road for 5 km. Here is a bit from The Post: ENGINEERING Services Corporation says the use of one pontoon out of the three Zambian ferries is due to high water levels on the Zambezi River. Reacting to concerns by truck drivers who on Sunday said they were stranded due to the breakdown of two pontoons of Zambia s three ferries, Bernard Kamusa, who is ECSO administration and fi nance manager, said Kazungula ferry site had only got one landing bay which could be used in high waters. The issue is that we have challenges of the landing bay, we have three pontoons and Botswana has got one. We have three landing bays on site but two have been affected by water. So while we wait for the water to subside, we are only using one landing bay. It is not that the others have broken down, but we have to fi ght nature. It is diffi cult to fi ght nature, Kamusa said. He further attributed the long queues to the clearance process by the Zambia Revenue Authority.... I really don t understand this. We have been running that pontoon for years... why is this year a problem of water levels???... Highway over the Barotse Floodplain The road across the Barotse Floodplain is nearing completion. Here is a photograph. Photograph Namucana Musiwa Solwezi Chingola road

3 KAPENTA AND LERISH Mainly compiled by SIOBHAN WATSON of AD-DICTS fame and her team it is a compilation of all things Zambian. Funny anecdotes, urban legends, recipes, a picture of the real world that is our country of residence. There was a big book launch in Lusaka on Sat and it is now on sale for $40 or K400. It has been two years in the making with invites from all living here to put in their stories. It is highly recommended and makes a wonderful present or just to sit on your table in the lounge to browse through and LAUGH! All proceeds go to LAWS Lusaka Animal Welfare Mary has copies for sale to anyone in the Livingstone Area: Mary R Counsell Rushyford Farm P O Box No Choma Zambia Landline Cell Cell

4 No IMF programme Zambia Weekly The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded its visit to Zambia, without reaching an agreement with government about an IMF loan programme. Government is presumably stalling for time with the general elections up ahead, as the IMF wants government to increase the prices of both electricity and fuel. The IMF stated (extract): The Zambian economy is under intense pressure. Resolute action is needed as quickly as possible to restore macroeconomic stability. Government fi nances are under immense stress. Expenditure is running far above budget, in large part as a result of fuel subsidies and contracted emergency electricity imports that together are estimated to cost the treasury about $660 million a year. At the same time, domestic and external fi nancing options have become more limited along with rising interest rates. Mounting domestic arrears are adding to concerns about debt sustainability. Tightening of monetary policy has been effective in stabilising the exchange rate, but tight liquidity conditions have contributed to persistent under-subscription of treasury bills and bonds. A key challenge going forward will be to normalise activity in the interbank foreign exchange market, while avoiding a return of last year s extreme volatility in the exchange rate. The mission is confi dent that Zambia s current economic challenges can be overcome with resolute policy action. In particular, a package of measures that makes clear that the fi scal pressures are being tackled would boost market confi dence and pave the way for increased investment and growth. However, delays in implementing corrective measures will only worsen the situation, increase the adjustment cost and postpone the recovery. Full statement on New maps of Zambia! Zambia Weekly Government has allocated $5 million to the national land audit with the aim of mapping the whole country, according to the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, although the minister mostly talked about urban areas. Zambia s current maps have not been revised since The mapping will be carried out by Ground Force Land & Engineering Services (Zambia) and Sivan Design and Ofek Aerial Photography (both from Israel). The project is scheduled for completion by September Zimbabwe Fishermen Arrested From the Times Twenty-one Zimbabwean fi shermen were yesterday arrested by police in Siavonga District of Southern Province after allegedly being found fi shing on the Zambian side of Lake Kariba. This comes barely a few months after nine Zambian fi shermen were arrested by Zimbabwean security offi cers after being caught fi shing in that country s side of Lake Kariba, each is currently serving a sentence of one year and fi ve months imprisonment with hard labour. District Commissioner (DC) Lovemore Kanyama, who confi rmed the arrests in an interview, said the 21 Zimbabwean fi shermen were arrested by police in the early hours of yesterday. Mr Kanyama said the fi shermen were found with nine fi shing vessels on the Zambian side of Lake Kariba without authority. In the early hours of today (yesterday), police in Siavonga arrested a total number of 21 fi shermen from Zimbabwe who were found fi shing on the Zambian side of Lake Kariba without authority, he said.... G: A bit of tit for tat???? As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, Zambia has a new marine unit with a fancy boat based at Siavonga.

5 Conservation Lower Zambezi SMART Training/Trouble shooting CLZ hosted the 4th visit by Panthera staff in February this year. The 3-day workshop was a training and troubleshooting session intended for CLZ staff members that are responsible for implementing the SMART system in the Lower Zambezi law enforcement operations. SMART short for Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool is a software that that is designed for easy and effi cient information recording by scout patrol teams while in the fi eld. SMART runs on Trimbles these are handheld GPS-enabled computer devices with a camera that allows scout teams to record any information in real-time. Upon completion of the patrol, all data (patrol tracks, photos, GPS coordinates for animals seen, signs of illegal activity etc.) are downloaded into the SMART database. From this, data can be easily extracted for reporting purposes and for effective monitoring. We would like to thank Michelle Moeller from Panthera and Richard Bergyl from North Carolina Zoo for their dedication to this training and help in getting the trimbles in the fi eld. Chongwe Outreach This year, CLZ s Nzou Environmental Education Programme kicked off in February with its School Outreach Programme that takes CLZ s Environmental Education Coordinator Besa Kaoma to schools surrounding the Lower Zambezi National Park. First on the list this year was the Chongwe District, which is an area through which many poachers access the park - hence a key area for environmental education. From February, Besa, accompanied by CLZ s driver James Muyoma, visited 13 schools in the area, giving lessons on hunting and poaching to a total of 420 school children that are part of the schools conservation clubs. As part of CLZ s EEP, Besa also gives lessons on health and HIV/Aids, funded every year by SidEcole. Finally, Besa also distributed 325 human-wildlife-confl ict booklets to the conservation clubs in the schools this year. These booklets were printed and donated by Awely CLZ s partner organization for its community support programme. It is the fi rst time that CLZ is introducing awareness lessons on human-wildlife-confl ict education to other project areas apart from Chiawa and Luangwa GMAs.

6 THE SKY ELEPHANT Livingstone s Adventure Batoka is a local Tonga word which means SKY in the Southern Province of Zambia, in Livingstone perhaps the term Batoka fi ts the infant Elephant named Batoka as a memorial of the historical and overwhelming efforts by the tourism company Batoka Sky in the rescuing of two Elephants. 24th October is a signifi cant and important day in the calendar of Zambia, not only is it Independence Day, it is also the beginning of a struggle to free two infant Elephants trapped on one of the Islands along the Zambezi River. The infants were fi rst spotted by a pilot fl ying in a microlight above the Victoria Falls. As soon as Heiko, the pilot, landed Mr Daan Brink the CEO for Livingstone s Adventure contacted the Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP). Upon receiving the news that two infant elephants were abandoned on an island above the Victoria Falls, the EOP rescue team responded quickly. All available resources were mobilised, the Helicopter and River Safari Boats were used to navigate the River to and from the rescue point. With the help from the EOP and other parties the mission was a GO! The youngest elephant was rescued and after a few checkups, it was certifi ed fi t by the veterinary doctor and let free into the wild since there are no predators in the park and because elephant herds were moving around all the time. As for Batoka, the next mission was to journey him to the EOP in Kafue National Park. Within hours a crate was built, with the excellent support from Bushtracks the crate was strong enough to house the infant elephant. Batoka was loaded in a 4x4 truck donated by Bundu Adventures. After 13 hours Batoka fi nally arrived at the EOP. Batoka began to recover from the fatigue of the trip and started to drink milk from his bottle. As soon as the orphaned herd of elephants returned from their walk they were glad to see a new member in the herd. The herd bonded well with Batoka. Batoka lived at the orphanage showing successful growth in stature and health. In November 2015, the clock marked a milestone for Batoka as he left the herd at EOP and went back into the wild. He wandered off and joined one of the wild herds in Kafue National Park! Under satellite collar monitoring he has been in the wild since then and has been spotted with other wild elephants. The step is an important one for Batoka as it signifi es the beginning to become fully independent as a wild elephant. For Livingstone s Adventure rather Batoka Sky, a company that is passionate about GREEN TOURISM, it is overwhelming to see the abandoned infant elephant to be fi nally reunited with nature. To EOP and all other parties that took part in the rescue mission of Batoka the elephant we are greatly humbled and your support is invaluable.

7 Painted Dog Foundation ZIMBABWE Saving Cusp For fi ve days, a team from the PDF searched for Cusp, a wild dog with a snare around its neck. Eventually they found her with her pack coming for a drink. She was darted and the snare removed. This is a great story on Some lovely photos too by Nicholas Dyer. The cost of fi nding and helping Cusp is estimated to be around US$4,000. This shows the determination and dedication of PDF to care for the wild dogs in Zimbabwe. They are always in need of extra funds and volunteers to help with their education programmes.... Painted Dog Conservation Project Visiting Dens Sadly each year the evidence mounts that visits to painted dog dens by tourists, fi lm crews, and researchers alike should be stopped. Not only do den moves result in loss of pups during each successive move, but also results in reduced provisioning for the pups who then are not well fed enough to go nomadic at the normal 12 week age. In sad keeping with the latter, two dens that had been disturbed both had low pup survivorship. One such pack being the Nyakasanga pack that in 2014 was not disturbed and raised fi fteen pups most of which survived to be yearlings. Sadly the same pack was disturbed in 2015 and only raised fi ve pups. Unfortunately this is not a singular event and is associated with lack of provisioning of the pups resulting in stunted growth. Happily the Kanga pack at least was not disturbed and the alpha female Flame Lily was seen at Kanga Camp and judging by her teats (photo) nursing as always a signifi cant litter.... Swimming the Zambezi Also came news that one of Flame Lilly s sons Valour swam the Zambezi river which is 1000 meters wide and formed Nkalangi pack in the Lower Zambezi National park. At one point it was believed that the mighty Zambezi would be a challenge for the dogs but Greg s research has shown that it is a common event. Sadly the danger is not crocodiles as one would think, but when the dogs are not in Mana or Lower Zambezi National Parks, snares are an eternal problem. Cheetah Zimbabwe Love is in the air in Hwange National Park. We can t stop smiling when we look at this picture of male HNP036 (left) and female HNP038 (right). David Kuttler came across this pair between Kennedy 1 and Kennedy 2. When cheetahs are mating they stay together for a maximum of 2-3 days before they go their separate ways again. We are so happy David shared this rare sighting with us!

8 Seen in Hwange National Park Africa Geographic Black Mambas assumed to be mating. Very rare sighting. Matusadona Anti-Poaching Project FOUR ARRESTED IN POSSESSION OF PANGOLINS. WITCH DOCTORS UPDATE Following a tip off, four individuals were arrested yesterday in possession of three pangolin trophies. The four accused will appear in Gokwe Court on Monday. Pangolin are a protected species in Zimbabwe and if the accused are found guilty they will receive a minimum sentence of nine years in prison each. A big thank you must go to the Tiki Hywood trust for providing fuel to attend to the information which was revealed to MAPP via their successful information network. Well done to the team who reacted and made the recoveries and arrests. WITCH DOCTORS Two witch doctors found in possession of elephant ivory and a 303 rifl e last week have been remanded in custody until Wednesday the 30th of March, one of the two has pleaded guilty to the charges whilst the other is expected to deny the charges. LION MOVEMENT UPDATE PLEASE BE ALERT & ON THE LOOK OUT FOR LION/LIONESS ALL KARIBA AREAS - HEIGHTS THROUGH TO NYAMHUNGA & CHAWARA There have been numerous sightings of Lion over the weekend and through to the end of this week. A Lioness had a stand up fi ght through a fence with a resident s dogs near Lake Navigation earlier in the week. A dog was reported eaten by lion with a possibility of 5 other dogs. Parks investigated and found the eaten dog and some residents in the area advised Parks their dogs were also missing. Between 3 and 4 lion have been seen Camp Hill side on more than one occasion in the past week or so, near the turn off to Peters Point and further up the Camp Hill road. Most recent evening of Thursday 24th Cutty Sark road, near the main road. We would hope by now that most people are taking heed of the numerous updates sent out and are staying out of the bush, paths etc as well as all the other safety advice.

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10 Botswana s Poaching Problem BOTSWANA When Britain and Germany swapped bits of Africa during the European Scramble for Africa, they never thought that the Caprivi Strip would become such a problem. (they probably dd not care, either). The land, I would guess, should actually have been part of Botswana but the Germans wanted access to the Zambezi River so they took the fi nger of land off South West Africa (Namibia) and Britain got Zanzibar (Britain wanted to stop the slave trade which was centred on Zanzibar). At the end of the Caprivi Strip (now Zambezi Province), the land is surrounded by rivers which fl ood out and are bounded by marshland. On the map you can see all the dark patches which show marshes. The border is easy to see if you sit with map on Google Earth, but it is not so easy when you are in a dugout canoe fi shing. Botswana is (some say) ruthless when it comes to protecting its borders and it does this for a reason. Botswana s tourism industry is growing; it earns the country $560 million per year and, more to the point, it provides 42,000 direct jobs. As a comparison, Zambia has 29,500 direct jobs in tourism. These stats are from Africa Travel and Tourism (2014). Botswana is known worldwide for its wildlife and, in today s climate, the elephants and rhinos are under threat from poaching. The poachers are not from Botswana but from neighbouring countries. Several years ago, the Botswana government put the Botswana Army in charge of anti-poaching, hence army methods are used to trap and catch poachers. They use helicopters, night vision glasses, all the latest equipment. We can all imagine protecting the river border between Namibia and Botswana a distance of about 300 km along the Kwando/ Linyanti/Chobe - is a real challenge. This is the access route not only for Namibian poachers but our Zambian ones too. This is the account of one such patrol: On a chilly night near Ihaha Camp, in the Chobe National Park, Corporal Joel Mathe of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) set out with his team on an antipoaching patrol. Making use of special assault rifl es and night-vision equipment, he and the three other members of the unit mounted a listening post and picked up the sound of a canoe being paddled on the Chobe River. Using the night-vision equipment, they observed two fi gures carrying rifl es disappear into the park. The men, they later testifi ed, returned carrying whitish objects, allegedly elephant tusks. Mathe told his junior to illuminate the scene. The two fi gures were frozen in the moment, and BDF assault rifl es stuttered along the river bank. A bullet hit one of the men in the chest, killing him instantly. The other vanished beneath the waters of the Chobe River, which acts as Botswana s northern boundary with Namibia s Caprivi Strip. This account of the incident, given by Mathe and his comrades at the inquest into the deaths in the Kasane magistrate s court in October 2014, is supported by inhabitants of Kanvula and Nakabolelwa settlements near Katima Mulilo in the Caprivi Strip. Botswana wants to send out the message, according to Tshedi Khama, Minister of Tourism: That is a position we adopted to send a clear message to say, if you want to come and poach in Botswana, one of the possibilities is that you may not go back to your country alive....

11 UK Daily Mail This is the moment when an oxpecker bird learned that there is such a thing as getting too close to your host. The bird had been pecking at ticks and parasites off the neck of a giraffe bending down to drink, and ended up sprayed with water when the large animal came back up for air. The funny snaps were taken by British photographer James Gifford, at the Chobe National Park in Botswana. Ivory Ban UK Independent ANGOLA The Commission Against Environmental Crimes presented a decree banning the sale of ivory and its derivatives last Friday in Luanda. The draft law on environmental crimes and infringements was presented at the third meeting of the Commission, which was chaired by the minister of Environment, Fátima Jardim. Jardim stated that the trade of ivory artifacts would cease to exist in the country as a means of curbing poaching. Other measures included the deployment of a wildlife crime unit at Angola s International Airport in Luanda. This move comes after Angola was told earlier this year by the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to improve their efforts to tackle poaching....

12 White Sands New Era NAMIBIA A prime piece of land called White Sands along the Kavango River in Kavango East in Bwabwata National Park, opposite Popa Falls, was recently handed to a South African national in a development that has ruffl ed some feathers among the San community at Mut jiku, who used to run a community campsite on the property. Volker Grellmann, a revered fi gure in the Namibian tourism sector, used to operate a hunting camp at White Sands that created numerous jobs for members of the San community at Mut jiku, before he left the area because of undue interference from a local chief. Since then, White Sands fell into an advanced state of disrepair and jobs evaporated overnight. It has for years not enjoyed its glory years of yesteryear, when hunters and eco-tourists fl ocked to the area. But John Ndemba, who serves as the enterprise offi cer of the Kyaramacan Association, which manages income from tourism activities in the area including the N//goabaca campsite at White Sands, says contrary to reports from some disgruntled members of the San community, White Sands was not sold to a South African national, who is strictly leasing it for tourism purposes. We did not give him that land. It s the government that felt there is a need for development in that area and through the ministry of environment it put out a tender to anyone who is able to develop something in the area. Nobody sold the land; it went through a legal procedure of the ministry of environment to enable that operator, who is currently developing the area into a lodge. This happened during our old Kyaramacan Association Committee, they are the ones who nominated this operator who took over the area, explained Ndemba. The Kyaramacan Association represents San residents at Mut jiku in Bwabwata National Park, where unemployment is rife. But since 2006, it has been officially recognised by the ministry of environment as the legal entity representing all the people living inside the Bwabwata National Park. Kyaramacan manages income from tourism activities (the community campsite and a small lodge), from trophy hunting and the sale of devil s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), a plant sold internationally to reduce pain and fever.... G: Botswana has an excellent idea for allaying people s fears when development takes place. They use the system of kgotlas. Whenever something new is about to happen, the kgotlas, which are run by the Chiefs, indunas and representatives of a community of an area, are called to a meeting to discuss it. We know that, in Africa, everyone wants to have their say and that these meetings can go on for hours, if not days. It would be impossible for government to sit for this time to listen to the discussion nothing would ever get done. So, at the kgotlas, the people get their chance to listen to all sides of the argument and have their say. Their feelings are put forward to government. In this way everyone is aware of the development through their representatives at the kgotla and there is less likely to be any backlash when it comes to pass. In the towns and cities we are used to constant change. In the villages they are not; they often don t have access to any news except from their own community. Etosha from Space The Sentinel-2A satellite takes us over northern Namibia in this image from 18 September The most prominent feature is the Etosha salt pan. It is believed that a lake was fi rst formed tens of millions of years ago. More recently - mere thousands of years ago - the Kunene River would have fl owed through this area, fi lling the large lake before tectonic movement changed the river course. The lake then dried up, leaving behind some 4800 sq km of exposed minerals. Today only the Ekuma River, seen fl owing down from the upper left, feeds water into the pan - but very little water actually fl ows in as it seeps into the riverbed.

13 Oil Pipeline TANZANIA Activists have pledged to stop the proposed Uganda-Tanzania oil pipeline after some designs showed it could cut through the highly endangered Serengeti National Park. The activists successfully stopped Tanzania from building a road through the park in They said on Wednesday they would revive legal action in the East African Court of Justice if the two countries insist on the shorter and cheaper Serengeti route. The pipeline and accompanying road would be a barrier for migrating wildlife and a high risk area for oil spills, Serengeti Watch said in a statement. The shorter 1,200-km route through Lake Victoria and the Serengeti is, by some estimates, the same length as the northern route through Kenya. The length of such a pipeline is the single biggest factor in its construction cost and subsequent transport cost of oil, said Serengeti Watch director Dave Blanton. This route is further complicated by the Lake Victoria, the cost of laying a pipeline under water and heating it, he said. Reports say Uganda's oil is thick and needs to be heated to a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, and that unless diluted, heating stations will be needed at fi xed intervals.... Tanzanian Citizen Serengeti The Serengeti District Court here has sentenced three people to 30 years in jail each after convicting them of killing George the rhino. George was one of three rhinos brought in from South Africa and released in Serengeti National Park in 2010 to boost the rhino population in the world famous park... G: Some background on George: Black rhino were once numerous across the Serengeti. It is estimated that around 500 to 700 rhinos once roamed freely in the Serengeti Ecosystem. Poaching, however, reduced this number greatly in the 1970 s. It was feared that none were left in Serengeti National Park, but in the 1980 s two females appeared again in the Moru area of Central Serengeti, one named Mama Serengeti. Miraculously, one of the young bulls living in the Ngorongoro Crater left the Crater and made it over 100km to Moru where he was welcomed by the two lonely females. He has happily lived ever after in his own paradise looking after his new found harem. After his arrival four calves were born and the Serengeti National Park - Moru population now has between 25 and 30 individuals. Mama Serengeti is still alive today and was spotted a year ago with a new calf. All three rhinos in this starting population are still alive today. The fi rst fi ve of the thirty-two rhinos scheduled to be brought from South Africa for reintroduction into the Serengeti arrived in May Of these 5 rhinos, 1 died of natural causes, another sadly was poached,... G: I assume George was one of the survivors of this group of fi ve.

14 Global Bird Day OTHER STUFF On May 9, 2015, more than 14,000 ebirders around the world took part in the fi rst Global Big Day. 6,085 species of birds were reported on more than 44,000 checklists in 135 countries. On May 14, 2016, the Global Big Day is back. Can we surpass last year s totals, and set a new record for the number of species ebirded across the world in a single day? With your help, we can. To learn how to participate more fully, and have your birds count, head over to Global Big Day HQ: ebird.org/globalbigday/ Everyone is invited, and everybody can contribute! All you have to do is go birding, and how fun is that? Tell your friends! The success of the project will depend on all of you and how many others you can help get excited about this single day celebration of bird diversity. For a full list of regional participation worldwide, check our Regional Events page: globalbigday/gbdregional/. Environmental Investigation Agency China: Authorities recover $48 million worth of smuggled python skin Chinese authorities have recovered a massive haul of smuggled python skin worth $48 million, Chinese media reported on Monday, highlighting the scope of an international black market trade in the scaly, patterned material. Customs agents in Haikou, a port city in China s southern island province Hainan, recovered 68,000 python skins on Friday, according to a report by the offi cial Legal Daily news service. The smugglers claimed that the skins would be used to create traditional Chinese musical instruments....

15 WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Min Temp Max Temp 22 C (72) 30 C (86) It seems as if the rains have ended. It has been dry now for over a week and the sky is almost cloudless. I suppose we should be grateful for what we have received this year. Although the Zambezi River is high, we have not had enough local rain to replenish underground water and it is likely that boreholes could run dry this year. US$1 K11.20 P10.93 Nam$15.10 TWO SMILES Have a good two weeks Gill